Shira
Well-Known Member
I tried to make this a pol with no luck.
As some of you may know I am starting up a mobile nail salon for the older folks. I'll be going to nuring homes, Senior Centers and Assisted Living Facilities. I need help naming the thing.
Here is the gist of what I'm trying to do:
I guess my appreciation for the more challenged set came about while my mother-in-law was in a nursing home back in NY. No one there would take responsibility for even cutting her fingernails. That all changed when I started bring in a little file and some polish. That little bit of effort would make her smile and beam. Before you knew it her roommate wanted pretty nails and on it went.
I finished up "nail school" at International Academy this past December. We have a salon on premises there so that we can practice our services with an instructor available for us. There is a minimum amount of services you have to do before you take your final test and practical's. I am 44 years old. Most of the younger students were afraid or repulsed by the older clientele. We had a few older regulars, not many.
I guess the 1st special needs client I had was a woman in her 40's in a wheel chair due to a stroke. She came in for a manicure because her oldest daughter was getting married the next day. We would communicate the best we could. She told me about her lavender dress and silver shoes. Much to her (and her mother) surprise I did a bit of lavender and silver nail art and she was ecstatic. Her Mom liked it so much she came in and had me do something similar to match her dress.They left the school with their heads held a little higher then when they came in.
Anytime a client would come in, special needs or not, a little down, or worried about an interview or something like that I would do a little something special with some nail art or conversation and I could see what a difference it made for these women, if only for a day. I also find these people have interesting things to chat about, things maybe the younger set doesn't care about.
Before the holidays our school gets a bunch of "angels" that would have no toys, etc if we didn't get some things for them.That's fine, I'm all for it. I took all the tips I had made thus far and picked 2 "angels" and got everything on their lists.That got me thinking. Why does the school not participate in something for my older set. ( I was known at school to love older clients so I would usually get to do their services.)I bugged the other students until I got a list of 12 who were willing to join me at an assisted living facility to do just basic manicures on women. I took that list to my instructor with my idea. "Why?" Although she wasn't too thrilled I took it upstairs to the schools GM. She said by law we had to have a licensed tech with us to do even the most basic of manicures. And again the question, Why? These people, my older set, they need pampering too. They can't stop grinning while you sit and chat with them, file a little and add some paint. I got an instructor and a licensed tech to go with us to the A.L.F. and we did manicures on about 20 residents. By the time we walked out of there the once hesitant kids were saying what a joy these older people were and how it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. And the residents...When we left each was saying their manicure and manicurist was the best out of the bunch. They were all tickled pink ..and some red too!
I did also did go alone to a home for the mentally challenged. It was rough, but so rewarding as some of these women had never had their nails professionally manicured and they went bananas for holiday nail art. I find they were more open to wild ideas! That is exciting for a new nail tech!
I guess the thing that the 2 places had in common was the residents languished on the one on one aspect of the experience and the actual touching and holding of their hands. Most people take both for granted.
In a salon or salon setting there are some things you can do to help a special needs client enjoy her services as much as the other clients. You have to have a portable pedicure foot bath. And you might need to work with a board on the clients lap rather then at the nail table. You'll have to bend over or sit on the floor to service their feet. You still need to hold their hands and fingers firmly, but a little more gently as some may have paralyses of the fingers and hands which tends to make their hands ball up into a fist. Some clients may have tremors, so you need to adjust your services a bit for that. I find a little message before the service makes everything easier on both the tech and the client.But first and foremost you can't assume you know what medical problems your client has. You need to ask about medication and numbness,etc. You might even ask them to bring a doctors note with them stating they can indeed have a service performed. Some you may be able to give "The Works", other will only be able to tolerate a quick file and maybe polish.
I am starting this mobile business to better accommodate people who are unable to go to a spa. Women ( and men...I do a fabulous Meni-cure! With Man-polish too! ) love to be pampered. I also feel there is a need for someone who is trained, to go in and do these services and treat these wonderful people with respect and dignity. A son shouldn't have to go clip and paint his mom's nails. A daughter should be able to call on someone for a special treat for her parent on their birthday. And everyone deserves to have the opportunity to get gussied up for an occasion such as an anniversary party or grandchild's wedding. Nothing says you love your parent, aunt, grandma, dad, then a gift of a personal service. Or better yet, allow them to do it every 2 weeks (or as needed) so things don't get out of hand. They notice, their visitors notice and you'll notice a difference in their attitude after a service.
I know I'm going to LOVE the work I do. I just hope I can make a living out of it.
As some of you may know I am starting up a mobile nail salon for the older folks. I'll be going to nuring homes, Senior Centers and Assisted Living Facilities. I need help naming the thing.
Here is the gist of what I'm trying to do:
I guess my appreciation for the more challenged set came about while my mother-in-law was in a nursing home back in NY. No one there would take responsibility for even cutting her fingernails. That all changed when I started bring in a little file and some polish. That little bit of effort would make her smile and beam. Before you knew it her roommate wanted pretty nails and on it went.
I finished up "nail school" at International Academy this past December. We have a salon on premises there so that we can practice our services with an instructor available for us. There is a minimum amount of services you have to do before you take your final test and practical's. I am 44 years old. Most of the younger students were afraid or repulsed by the older clientele. We had a few older regulars, not many.
I guess the 1st special needs client I had was a woman in her 40's in a wheel chair due to a stroke. She came in for a manicure because her oldest daughter was getting married the next day. We would communicate the best we could. She told me about her lavender dress and silver shoes. Much to her (and her mother) surprise I did a bit of lavender and silver nail art and she was ecstatic. Her Mom liked it so much she came in and had me do something similar to match her dress.They left the school with their heads held a little higher then when they came in.
Anytime a client would come in, special needs or not, a little down, or worried about an interview or something like that I would do a little something special with some nail art or conversation and I could see what a difference it made for these women, if only for a day. I also find these people have interesting things to chat about, things maybe the younger set doesn't care about.
Before the holidays our school gets a bunch of "angels" that would have no toys, etc if we didn't get some things for them.That's fine, I'm all for it. I took all the tips I had made thus far and picked 2 "angels" and got everything on their lists.That got me thinking. Why does the school not participate in something for my older set. ( I was known at school to love older clients so I would usually get to do their services.)I bugged the other students until I got a list of 12 who were willing to join me at an assisted living facility to do just basic manicures on women. I took that list to my instructor with my idea. "Why?" Although she wasn't too thrilled I took it upstairs to the schools GM. She said by law we had to have a licensed tech with us to do even the most basic of manicures. And again the question, Why? These people, my older set, they need pampering too. They can't stop grinning while you sit and chat with them, file a little and add some paint. I got an instructor and a licensed tech to go with us to the A.L.F. and we did manicures on about 20 residents. By the time we walked out of there the once hesitant kids were saying what a joy these older people were and how it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. And the residents...When we left each was saying their manicure and manicurist was the best out of the bunch. They were all tickled pink ..and some red too!
I did also did go alone to a home for the mentally challenged. It was rough, but so rewarding as some of these women had never had their nails professionally manicured and they went bananas for holiday nail art. I find they were more open to wild ideas! That is exciting for a new nail tech!
I guess the thing that the 2 places had in common was the residents languished on the one on one aspect of the experience and the actual touching and holding of their hands. Most people take both for granted.
In a salon or salon setting there are some things you can do to help a special needs client enjoy her services as much as the other clients. You have to have a portable pedicure foot bath. And you might need to work with a board on the clients lap rather then at the nail table. You'll have to bend over or sit on the floor to service their feet. You still need to hold their hands and fingers firmly, but a little more gently as some may have paralyses of the fingers and hands which tends to make their hands ball up into a fist. Some clients may have tremors, so you need to adjust your services a bit for that. I find a little message before the service makes everything easier on both the tech and the client.But first and foremost you can't assume you know what medical problems your client has. You need to ask about medication and numbness,etc. You might even ask them to bring a doctors note with them stating they can indeed have a service performed. Some you may be able to give "The Works", other will only be able to tolerate a quick file and maybe polish.
I am starting this mobile business to better accommodate people who are unable to go to a spa. Women ( and men...I do a fabulous Meni-cure! With Man-polish too! ) love to be pampered. I also feel there is a need for someone who is trained, to go in and do these services and treat these wonderful people with respect and dignity. A son shouldn't have to go clip and paint his mom's nails. A daughter should be able to call on someone for a special treat for her parent on their birthday. And everyone deserves to have the opportunity to get gussied up for an occasion such as an anniversary party or grandchild's wedding. Nothing says you love your parent, aunt, grandma, dad, then a gift of a personal service. Or better yet, allow them to do it every 2 weeks (or as needed) so things don't get out of hand. They notice, their visitors notice and you'll notice a difference in their attitude after a service.
I know I'm going to LOVE the work I do. I just hope I can make a living out of it.
